Brad Wilkerson

Brad Wilkerson
Wilkerson with the Red Sox during 2009 spring training.
Outfielder / First baseman
Born: June 1, 1977 (1977-06-01) Owensboro, Kentucky
Batted: Left	Threw: Left
MLB debut
July 12, 2001 for the Montreal Expos
Last MLB appearance
September 28, 2008 for the Toronto Blue Jays
Career statistics
Batting average	.247
Home runs	122
Runs batted in	399
Teams
Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals (2001–2005) Texas Rangers (2006–2007) Seattle Mariners (2008) Toronto Blue Jays (2008)

Olympic medal record
Men's Baseball
Gold	2000 Sydney	Team competition

Stephen Bradley Wilkerson (born June 1, 1977) is a former American college and professional baseball player who was an outfielder and first baseman in Major League Baseball for eight seasons in the 2000s. Wilkerson played college baseball for the University of Florida, and was selected by the Montreal Expos in the first round of the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft. During his Major League career, he played for the Expos, Washington Nationals, Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, and Toronto Blue Jays.

Biography

Baseball career

Amateur career

Wilkerson was born in Owensboro, Kentucky. He attended Apollo High School in Owensboro, and played high school baseball for the Apollo Eagles. Wilkerson played for the national junior team in 1995. He was both a pitcher as well as a hitter. He was the MVP of the World Junior Baseball Championship, pitching a three-hit shutout against Taiwan in the gold medal game and hitting .360 with three home runs and eight RBI for the tournament, leading Team USA in homers and RBI.

A line drive hitter and versatile defensive player, Wilkerson received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for coach Andy Lopez's Florida Gators baseball team from 1996 to 1998. A two-time first-team All-American, Wilkerson led Florida to the College World Series in 1996 and 1998 with both his hitting and pitching. The Gators went to the College World Series, where he hit a dramatic grand slam to beat state rival Florida State.

The Gators made a return trip to the CWS two years later in Wilkerson's junior year. As a junior, he became the first player in college history to hit 20 home runs, steal 20 bases, and win 10 games as a pitcher in the same year. He was named the College Player of the Year by Rotary Smith, and was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2010.

Minors

Wilkerson was selected by the Montreal Expos in the first round (33rd pick) of the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft. Initially, he struggled in the minors. In 1999, Wilkerson hit .235 with eight home runs and 49 RBI at Double-A Harrisburg. Back in the Eastern League to start the (2000) season, Wilkerson tore up the league, hitting .336, 6, 44 with 36 doubles. He was on pace to break the Eastern League record for doubles in a season before he was promoted to Triple-A Ottawa, of the International League. For the season, he was hitting .304-15-75 with 47 doubles in 408 at-bats.

Olympic Games

While coming up through the minors, Wilkerson was a member of the gold medal-winning USA baseball team in the Sydney Olympics. In one of the biggest upsets in Olympic history, Team USA defeated Cuba 4–0 in the Gold Medal Game.

Major league career

Wilkerson debuted with Montreal on July 12, (2001), appearing in 38 games at left field. He recorded his first major league hit off Greg Maddux and his first major league home run off Jason Marquis.

From 2002–2003, Wilkerson delivered almost identical seasons with a .266 average, 20 home runs and 59 RBI in (2002), and .268, 19, 77 in (2003). In 2002, he hit 20 home runs, an Expos rookie record and was named Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News. His most productive season came in (2004), when he posted career-highs in homers (32), hits (146), doubles (39), runs (112), walks (106), slugging percentage (.498) and OPS (.872), and hitting .255 with 67 RBI. In 2004, he hit the last home run in Expos history. He appeared once more in a Montreal Expos uniform during the Major League Baseball Japan All-Star Series shortly after the 2004 regular season. The Expos were to become the Washington Nationals for the 2005 season, prompting some to refer to Wilkerson as "The Last Expo."

Wilkerson playing for the Nationals in 2005

Wilkerson opened the 2005 season as the regular center fielder and leadoff hitter for the new Washington Nationals. On December 7, 2005, Wilkerson was traded to the Texas Rangers along with outfielder Terrmel Sledge and minor league pitching prospect Armando Galarraga for second baseman Alfonso Soriano.

Wilkerson has hit for the cycle twice, the first on June 24, 2003, against Pittsburgh (with the Expos). In that occurrence, Wilkerson became the first player since 1957 to have the minimum four plate appearances and hit for a natural cycle. The second time was on April 6, 2005, against Philadelphia (with the Nationals, in their second game after moving from Montreal). Wilkerson also hit the first grand slam home run hit by a Washington Nationals player

2007

While playing for the Texas Rangers in 2007, Wilkerson hit three home runs in one game - the third player to do so in 2007 behind Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Lee. An injury to, and later the trade of, Mark Teixeira led to Wilkerson making many of his starts at first base in 2007.

2008

On January 31, 2008, Wilkerson signed a one-year contract with the Seattle Mariners. On April 30, he was designated for assignment, and on May 8 was given his unconditional release. May 9, he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays. On August 22, he was put on the 15-day disabled list by the Toronto Blue Jays .

On October 30, 2008, Wilkerson filed for free-agency from Toronto.

2009

On February 16, 2009, Wilkerson signed a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training with the Boston Red Sox.

Retirement

Wilkerson decided to retire in 2009, having had one hit in nine Triple-A at-bats in the Boston minor league affiliate. He retired with a .247 batting average, .350 on-base percentage and 122 home runs.

On February 23, 2010, Wilkerson attempted a brief comeback by agreeing to a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. However, he was released on March 29.

Personal life

Wilkerson married Dana Marie Gleason in 2006. They have three children - Ella, Ava and Max.

According to an 2007 interview on MLB on Five, he has been a Liverpool FC fan since childhood; coincidentally the club is owned by Boston Red Sox owner John W. Henry.

Wilkerson participated in numerous charitable functions over the course of his Major League career and he continues to do so post-retirement. He holds a charity golf tournament annually to raise money for various children's charities.

See also

• Florida Gators
• Hitting for the cycle
• List of Florida Gators baseball players
• List of University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame members
• List of University of Florida Olympians

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
• Official website
• Baseball America

Awards
Preceded by Albert Pujols	Sporting News NL Rookie of the Year 2002	Succeeded by Scott Podsednik